Determining a time to permit a communications session to be conducted

• US 9,137,385 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VoIP-Pal.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digifonica (International) Limited (VoIP-Pal.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bjorsell, Johan Emil Viktor
• Primary Examiner(s): SING, SIMON P
• Application Number:
  US14/029,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20140010119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/114.09, 379/114.13
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 39/39558 against tumor tissues, cells, antigens
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 45/06 Mixtures of active ingredients without chemical characterisation, e.g. antiphlogistics and cardiaca
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/18 against material from animals or humans
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1496 involving discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/3065 for real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1033 Signalling gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/63 based on the content carried by the session initiation protocol [SIP] messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8055 Selecting cheaper transport technology for a given service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8228 Session based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/887 : limit per user or user related number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/888 : severing connection after predetermined time or data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 : where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 : Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0075 : Details of addressing, directories or routing tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 : CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13141 : Hunting for free outlet, circuit or channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13196 : Connection circuit/link/trunk/junction, bridge, router, gateway
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13384 : Inter-PBX traffic, PBX networks, e.g. corporate networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/66 : Traffic distributors
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/70 : Identification of class of calling subscriber

Abstract

A process and apparatus to facilitate communication between callers and callees in a system comprising a plurality of nodes with which callers and callees are associated is disclosed. In response to initiation of a call by a calling subscriber, a caller identifier and a callee identifier are received. Call classification criteria associated with the caller identifier are used to classify the call as a public network call or a private network call. A routing message identifying an address, on the private network, associated with the callee is produced when the call is classified as a private network call and a routing message identifying a gateway to the public network is produced when the call is classified as a public network call.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining a time to permit a communication session to be conducted, the method comprising:

causing at least one processor circuit to determine a cost per unit time value associated with the communication session;

causing the at least one processor circuit to calculate a first time value as a sum of a free time attributed to a participant in the communication session and a quotient of a funds balance held by the participant divided by the cost per unit time value; and

causing the at least one processor circuit to produce a second time value based on the first time value and a billing pattern associated with the participant, the billing pattern including first and second billing intervals and the second time value being the time to permit the communication session to be conducted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the at least one processor circuit to determine the first time value comprises causing the at least one processor circuit to retrieve a record associated with the participant and to obtain from the record at least one of the free time and the funds balance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the at least one processor circuit to produce the second time value comprises causing the at least one processor circuit to produce a remainder value representing a portion of the second billing interval remaining after dividing the second billing interval into a difference between the first time value and the first billing interval.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein causing the at least one processor circuit to produce the second time value comprises causing the at least one processor circuit to set a difference between the first time value and the remainder as the second time value.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising causing the at least one processor circuit to set the second time value to zero when the remainder is not greater than zero and the first time value is less than the first billing interval.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the at least one processor circuit to determine the cost per unit time comprises:

causing the at least one processor circuit to locate a record in a database, the record comprising a markup type indicator, a markup value and a billing pattern associated with the participant; and

causing the at least one processor circuit to set a reseller rate equal to the sum of the markup value and a buffer rate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein causing the at least one processor circuit to locate the record in the database comprises causing the at least one processor circuit to locate at least one of:

a record associated with a communications services reseller and a route associated with the reseller;

a record associated with the reseller; and

a default reseller markup record.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein causing the at least one processor circuit to determine the cost per unit time value further comprises causing the at least one processor circuit to locate at least one of:

an override record specifying a route cost per unit time amount associated with a route associated with the communication session;

a reseller record associated with a communications services reseller of the communications session, the reseller record specifying a reseller cost per unit time associated with the reseller for the communication session; and

a default operator markup record specifying a default cost per unit time.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising causing the at least one processor circuit to set as the cost per unit time the sum of the reseller rate and at least one of the route cost per unit time, the reseller cost per unit time and the default cost per unit time.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising causing the at least one processor circuit to receive a communication session time representing a duration of the communication session and incrementing a reseller balance by the product of the reseller rate and the communication session time.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising causing the at least one processor circuit to receive a communication session time representing a duration of the communication session and to increment a system operator balance by a product of the buffer rate and the communication session time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing a communications system facilitating the communication session to end the communication session when the time to permit the communication session to be conducted expires.

13. A method of controlling a communications system, the method comprising initiating the method of claim 1, in response to a request to initiate a communication session on the communications system.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising causing a communications system facilitating the communication session to end the communication session when the time to permit the communication session to be conducted expires.

15. A computer readable medium encoded with instructions for directing a at least one processor circuit to execute the method of claim 1.

16. An apparatus for determining a time to permit a communication session to be conducted, the apparatus comprising:

at least one processor circuit;

a computer readable medium coupled to the at least one processor circuit and encoded with instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to;

determine a cost per unit time value for the communication session;

calculate a first time value as a sum of a free time attributed to a participant in the communication session and the quotient of a funds balance held by the participant divided by the cost per unit time value; and

produce a second time value based on the first time value and a billing pattern associated with the participant, the billing pattern including first and second billing intervals and the second time value being the time to permit the communication session to be conducted.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions include instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to retrieve a record associated with the participant and obtain from the record at least one of the free time and the funds balance.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions include instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to produce the second time value by producing a remainder value representing a portion of the second billing interval remaining after dividing the second billing interval into a difference between the first time value and the first billing interval.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to produce the second time value comprise instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to set a difference between the first time value and the remainder as the second time value.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the instructions include instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to set the second time value to zero when the remainder is not greater than zero and the first time value is less than the first billing interval.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to determine the cost per unit time comprise instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to:

locate a record in a database, the record comprising a markup type indicator, a markup value and a billing pattern associated with the participant; and

set a reseller rate equal to the sum of the markup value and a buffer rate.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to locate the record in a database comprise instruction for directing the at least one processor circuit to locate at least one of:

a record associated with a communications services reseller and a route associated with the reseller;

a record associated with the reseller; and

a default reseller markup record.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to determine the cost per unit time value further comprise instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to locate at least one of:

an override record specifying a route cost per unit time amount associated with a route associated with the communication session;

a reseller record associated with a communications services reseller of the communications session, the reseller record specifying a reseller cost per unit time associated with the reseller for the communication session; and

a default operator markup record specifying a default cost per unit time.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the instructions include instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to set as the cost per unit time the sum of the reseller rate and at least one of the route cost per unit time, the reseller cost per unit time and the default cost per unit time.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the instructions include instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to receive a communication session time representing a duration of the communication session and increment a reseller balance by the product of the reseller rate and the communication session time.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the instructions include instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to receive a communication session time representing a duration of the communication session and increment a system operator balance by a product of the buffer rate and the communication session time.

27. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions include instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to cause a communications system facilitating the communication session to end the communication session when the time to permit the communication session to be conducted expires.

28. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the instructions include instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to receive a request to initiate the communication session on a communications system.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the instructions include instructions for directing the at least one processor circuit to cause a communications system facilitating the communication session to end the communication session when the time to permit the communication session to be conducted expires.